Suitcase Stories: Esther's story by Hedy Tjin

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Suitcase Maze

Suitcase Stories: Esther's story by Hedy Tjin

Photo of Grandma Moesje

Many of the suitcases that are part of the FENIX collection tell a story about their owner. For example, Esther's suitcase was given from grandmother to grandaughter, following a lineage of powerful women that supported each other.


Illustrator Hedy Tjin depicted Esther's voyage in four drawings.

Young Esther says goodbye to Suriname. In the plance towards the Netherlands she nostalgically remembers the strength of her grandmother.
As a sixteen-year-old girl, Esther departed Suriname by herself to study in the Netherlands during the '60s. The flight across the Atlantic marked a transition into uncertainty, yet it bore the promise of new beginnings. The suitcase that grandma Moesje gave Esther meant more than a rectangular object. Inside, Esther carried grandma Moesje's love and wisdom.
Young Esther arrives to the airport in Amsterdam to start a new life. She thinks of her gandmother Moesje who supported her to pursuit her studies in the Netherlands.
At the Dutch airport, Esther was going to meet with her Dutch grandparents for the very first time. As she approached to the exit, the thought of grandma Moesje gave Esther a steadfast source of strength. A lineage of resilient women echoed through her, empowering her to embrace her future in the Netherlands.
Esther is in the bus, while a mother and her daughter make a discriminative comment towards Esther. Although she feels pain, the image of her grandmother gives her strength.
In the face of discrimination, Esther stood by her values. Her journey was not free from challenges, but her determined spirit remained strong and steady. Her story resonates as a testament to fortitude and commitment to one's lineage and past.
Inside the suitcase that Esther's grandmother, gave her as a gift before departing Suriname, there is a ring and a soap-box. These items give Esther stength.
Besides her suitcase, grandma Moesje had given Esther two additional treasures; a soapbox and a ring. Before departure, grandma Moesje handed Esther a gold ring. 'I used to have nothing. Now you have at least something.'Eventually, postcards from Suirname also made their way north to Esther's new home. Threaded with grandma Moesje's wisdom and encouragement, bearing messages of strength that show the relevance of family ties and borderless love.

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